The REDUX version of Skyshine's BEDLAM is coming with a lot of enhancements:

REDUX! Update is Live!

We're very excited to inform everyone that the REDUX! update for Skyshine's BEDLAM is now live! After listening to everyone's feedback over the last 6 months and slowly evolving the game, we believe this is the best iteration yet! It's been a total labor of love and we hope y'all enjoy playing it as much as we've had working on it!

We will be showcasing Skyshine's BEDLAM:REDUX at SXSW Gaming Expo at the Austin Convention Center March 17th through the 19th! Come see us at booth #629! We will be giving away a bunch of BEDLAM gear, tons of posters and promotional items to our fans while supplies last!

New battle mechanics

•Squad based tactics with 2AP (Action Points) per unit with each team being able to use any or all of their units per turn!!!! It is what everyone has been asking for!
•Movement will cost 1AP
•Attacking without moving will cost 2AP and inflict 100% damage
•Moving and then attacking will cost 1AP and inflict 60% damage
•Weapon powercell cost slightly reduced to encourage more usage
•Added 'End Turn' option
•In Arcade play, Blitz has been reworked to be more fun
•Option added in Settings to turn on original 2AP per team rules

Gameplay

•Improved A.I.
•Play as EACH FACTION! If you ever wondered what it would be like to fight as a crew of Mutants or Cyborgs or even mixed... now you can!
•Each Dozer now has a "leader" Elite!
•You can now choose your crew complement (want to start with an Elite and fewer rookies?)
•Reworked Campaign mode NO more is the goal to just get to Aztec City...collect the four lost relics to help ensure victory over the self-proclaimed overlord of Bedlam! And can you liberate Bedlam of all the ruthless factions and restore order in the wasteland?
•Reworked Arcade mode! Can you make it to Aztec City on a set course, with no side missions, lots of obstacles and no Dozer management? If you do, one of the four new Dozers awaits!
•Improved Events. Lots of event options now affect the state and level of danger in Bedlam!
•Added some variety to existing events and reduced the overall number of clicks through events.
•Revamped threat level system: Not only do events affect the threat level but so does battle outcomes! Your choices now matter more.
•Marauder Rush ability added to Enemy and Crew Marauders
•Gunslinger Return Fire ability much improved

New Content

•New character sprites for all faction crewmembers!
•72 new rookie and veteran crewmembers!!!
•5 new Dozers, one for each faction!
•5 new Elites, including The Mechanic!
•BEDLAMIZED NAMES!! When one of the new faction crewmembers are added to your Dozer at launch, they pull their nicknames randomly from a huge list of names based on many of our backer's real names and suggestions!
•Many new events added and a random outcome system implemented
•Battlefields have been revisited to resize, re-layout and reposition for maximum awesomeness

General changes

•Reduced memory footprint of all animations
•Bug fixes galore
•Dozer travel and transport animations reduced for better performance
•Sometimes during Dozer travel the game no longer freezes (bug fix)
•Battle resource pickups (in Arcade mode) have been repositioned so they are more attainable
•New tutorials are being worked on!

The Skyshine's BEDLAM devs let us know that the PDF art book is coming along nicely and provide a range of snapshots from that art book on their Kickstarter page.

Here are two reviews for Skyshine's Bedlam that were found by Eye.

Gamespot has a not too positive review.

Skyshine’s Bedlam has some good moments, but the story is devoid interesting or layered tales. The experience is largely defined by chasing simple goals while enduring repetitive dialogue and narrative beats along the way. Combat feels good enough, but there's not much to it, and little to strive for. Not being able to make meaningful, permanent progress is ultimately Skyshine's Bedlam's biggest flaw, and when something so crucial is missing, it’s hard to recommend. There is some fun to be had, but Skyshine's Bedlam ultimately mirrors the reality it depicts. You can survive hardships, but only if you struggle through them.

Gaming Memoirs is more positive.

To sum it up, I quite enjoyed Skyshine’s Bedlam and its chess-like restrictions. It has an amazing art-style, and the lore is fantastic if you take time to delve into it. It can get real infuriating real fast, so take a second and unwind.

Version 2.2 of Skyshine's Bedlam, brings us MAC support and the following:

We're working away on the game and have some great news - OSX (Mac) is now available via your steam keys! It'll be identical to our 2.2 version of the game. 

Version 2.2 is a continued effort from our side to make combat more enjoyable, lessen the difficulty for beginners, and encourage more exploration. See the full list of notes below! 

Bug fixes:  

• Resized textures to help eliminate the 'black screen' issue during battles
• Fixed issue with Gunslinger return fire kills not counting toward veteran status
• Fixed issue with the Dozer rooms button going to wrong screen when chose Combustor Dozer 

Tweeked Blitz rules 

•  1. Now the enemy doesn't have extended movement range 
•  2. Blitz meter scales to game progression 

Gameplay:

• Added a new low cost Dozer equalizer that allows the player to have extra Action points! 
• Weapons and Equalizers can only be used once per combat
• Increased damage from Gunslinger return fire
• Up'd the health of all units across the board, to get rid of one shot kills 
• Increased starting power cell count on all Dozers 
• Slightly reduced heal time for all Dozers 
• Reduced the power cell cost of some weapons and equalizers 
• Increased amount of resources collected per pickup 
• Player can no longer be killed via headshot 
• Randomized the amount of passengers lost/gained from convo events 
• Changed Viscera to only be immune to same type class of unit 
• Fixed the "battlefield butcher" achievement 
• Adjusted the "scorched earth" achievement 

 UI changes: 

• Battle Hud changed to always show the available 
• Weapons and Equalizers! Added more tooltips, and reworded some, on various screens
• Extra UI Improvements (pulsing lights/buttons)

Thanks Eye.

Bedlam version 2.0 is here and a Mac version is coming soon.

We've been working non-stop over the past 6 weeks post release on getting 2.0 completed, QA has just signed off on the build and it is now available on Steam! We've made a lot of changes and added a lot of polish based on feedback from the community, If you think you know Bedlam you don't know 2.0!

We added a campaign and challenge modes to the game. This new experience is a minimum of 10 hours of game play. With each successful run to Aztec City you will unlock a new dozer! With each run you will bring new allies to your cause ultimately taming the harsh lands of Bedlam! If you are able to unlock the formidable AI dozer you will face the ultimate challenge with crew from all 4 factions along for the adventure!

Challenge mode pits you against the four forms of Bedlam's meanest overlord King Viscera! You get a random dozer and a random crew, with three random champion elite units...can you beat one of the games toughest challenges?

Some of the new additions to 2.0

• Added the campaign structure, also Practice and Challenge modes. 
• Game difficulty is now controlled by the Dozer progression system 
• Dozer unlocks now have a clear progression 
• Faction based crew abilities for all 4 factions 
• Balance pass on all events 
• Balance associated with crew level ups and resource rewards 
• Fewer enemies at higher threat, but they are stronger. 
• Collected resources are now only what you pickup on the battlefield. 
• Optimized all battleboards to address black screen issue 
• Added volume controls for music and SFX

Thanks Eye.

Press Play chatted with Skyshine's John Mueller about BEDLAM - great news:
The 2.0 update should be out before the end of October.

Skyshine’s Bedlam Developer Q&A

Skyshine’s Bedlam came out last month, but the team hasn’t stopped working on the game – they’re dedicated to tuning the game just right based on the feedback they received post-release. We caught up with them and asked John Mueller, formerly the studio art director at Vigil for both Darksiders games, a couple of questions. Read on for a quick 101 on Skyshine’s Bedlam and our report of this Q&A.

It’s probably best to describe Skyshine’s Bedlam as a mix between The Banner Saga and FTL, but with the style of post-apocalyptic games (and movies) like Fallout and Mad Max. It plays most like other turn-based (isometric) strategy games such as XCOM or The Banner Saga, which is no great surprise because the game was built using the same engine that developer Stoic used to program the original Banner Saga game. While all that may make it sound like Skyshine’s Bedlam mostly just copies others that went before it, nothing could be further from the truth. The game’s unique blend of wacky animations, colorful characters and relatively fast-paced battles make it stand out on its own, and we thoroughly enjoyed playing the game.

[...]

How has the (post) launch experience been for you guys?
It’s been as crazy as the rest of it, no rest for the weary! We never really stopped development and we’re about to release 2.0 which we think is a significant upgrade to the overall experience. One of the best things has been the supportive community that’s grown around the game. The 2.0 update should be out before the end of October and if you already own the game you can test it on our test-branch we have up for the community. We hope to keep building on the experience and adding new content and challenges. I often times say that we’re like a food truck that makes spicy food (challenging games)…it’s not for everyone, but if you like a challenge Bedlam is waiting to be conquered!

Our thanks to John Mueller for his time and answers. Stay tuned for the upcoming 2.0 release for the game as well, which promises some major updates including some new game modes and optimizations.

Short video review for Skyshine's BEDLAM:

VIDEO: Skyshine's Bedlam — Need To Know

Welcome to Indie Haven’s ‘Need To Know’ videos series. Today we’re looking at Skyshine’s Bedlam. A recent update to Skyshine’s Bedlam fixed many of the concerns folks had with it at first launch. After that update, many players found a game that fulfilled one’s desires for a game that mashed up Banner Saga’s tactical battles with FTL’s risky-jump-based traversal. Without further ado, here’s all you Need to Know about Skyshine’s Bedlam:

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Chris Bratt (Eurogamer) has some problems with BEDLAM:

Skyshine's Bedlam brings together a number of ideas that sound fantastic on paper, but in reality, prove frustrating.

Permadeath can make all the difference. With the right game built around it this one simple not-really-a-word can transform a player's experience into something that feels consistently important. Screw up and you suffer the consequences, but if you make the right call, you'll be that much more satisfied in your victory. It's the reason that many of us fell in love with XCOM three years ago - but it's important to remember that it wasn't the only reason. You see, for permadeath to work, almost everything else needs to be designed around it and in Skyshine's Bedlam, that isn't always the case.

Which is a shame! Because at first glance, I think Bedlam has a lot going for it. Set in one of those post-apocalyptic worlds that video games like so much, you're tasked with crossing the nuclear wasteland in hopes of salvation. Reach Aztec City, they tell you, and you might survive. Alright, okay, this isn't an entirely new concept, but it does provide all of the necessary context for a world that contains cyborgs, mutants, cyborg mutants, and characters that didn't quite make it into the latest Mad Max. And anyway, regardless of all that, the means of transport is brill: a giant rolling fortress, known as a 'Dozer'.

[...]

Skyshine Games are already talking about their first major patch, and hopefully some of these problems will be addressed - along with some of the more significant bugs. As it stands right now, you can expect the game to crash at least once or twice during a run through the wastelands of Bedlam, and I've also run into a number of encounters in which the enemy simply refused to fight back.

I'd be surprised if these issues weren't eventually fixed, but even then, I'd struggle to recommend Skyshine's Bedlam. It does have some interesting ideas and it's a fantastic setting to play around in, but fundamentally, there's a mix of ideas here that just doesn't quite work. I like that it's a difficult game, but it needs to be a fair one as well.

Thanks Eye!

In formation on patch 1.5 for Skyshine's Bedlam has been made public.

We're going in to QA and internal testing with the below changes and we'll see how things turn out. We've been actively listening to you folks and we hope we have covered off on a lot of the various things that have been brought up.

Once get some QA time on it we'll see how it goes and see about getting it out this week.

Release notes

• Bug fixes include end game show stopper, performance related issues and reduced overall map memory to fix never-ending battle loading screens
• Increased the size of many battle maps and spread out the enemy and player spawns to prevent ambushes at the beginning of combat in every map
• Powercell pickup awarded immediately in battle
• Weapons now use 1 action point
• Balance of equalizers vs. powercell cost
• Rookies will reach Veteran status after 3 kills with the first level up at 2 more kills and each level up after that requiring 5 more kills
• Now the heal time is proportional to the unit’s class and health
• Lowered the overall number of enemies
• Threat level ramp up tightened
• The Away Team now has a 4 crew member maximum
• Away Team sizes of 3 or less will net twice the crude and meat rewards after battle
• Instead of missing, cover now provides a 50% damage reduction with the exception of directly adjacent attacks
• Elite battles are more like mini-boss fights against an entire team of one weapon class
• The encounter spread for Elites is better balanced
• Rogue A.I. now teleport/shield but do not attack
• Faction dozers now have starting faction crew
• Updated Double Down Map now has boundary lines
• Balanced the powercell reward based on threat level
• The entire board and all of the valid movement tiles are now displayed
• Movement flood tiles are now much more prominent
• Removed the forced encounter outside the gates of Bysantine
• Changed S.O.L to 3 outcomes and more resources rewarded in good outcome
• Passengers die off quicker when the Dozer is out of meat

Thanks Eye.

Alec Meer (Rock, Paper, Shotgun) on Skyshine's BEDLAM:

Wot I Think: Skyshine's Bedlam

Skyshine's Bedlam (that awkward prefix is because a first-person shooter named Bedlam is already on Steam) is a team-based roguelike in which you drive a giant APC across a post-apocalyptic desert, getting into regular turn-based fights and trying not to run out of food and fuel. It’s out today.

A list of games which have made me swear the most:

5) Syndicate (original)
4) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
3) Mario Kart
2) Quake III: Arena
1) Bedlam

[...]

So you'll have to view my closing comments through the lens of that confession, but: I dig the way Bedlam looks and I enjoy the Chess-like restrictions of its combat, but I feel like it hasn't quite got the soul it needs. I don't feel like I’m visiting a place (or riding through it in a giant, iron-clad deathtank), but rather that I'm looking a collection of art and words created to meet a brief. Bedlam borrows so much from FTL, but doesn't manage to capture the lonely vulnerability. The character-led chattiness of The Banner Saga is absent too, with the story propelled instead by what I can only describe as flavour text.

I enjoyed Bedlam, without a doubt: it looks great, it motors along and the fights are thoughtful as well as punishing. I don't necessarily feel like I’m going to go back to it though. While it looks lovelier than FTL, it doesn’t have the drama and tension which keeps me committed to that game of endless space danger. It's the best alterna-FTL we’ve had so far, but I question whether simply being an alternative is enough. Perhaps I’ll be back to see what fresh secrets and OTT characters I can dig up from the desert once the bugs are fixed, however.

Angelo M. D'Argenio (The Escapist) has reviewed Bedlam, too:

Skyshine's Bedlam Review - Die Historic

[...] It's a good thing that battles are so incredibly fun. They run on the same engine The Banner Saga did, with a couple tweaks. Every turn you get two action points, which can be used to either move with a unit, or attack with a unit. Your units come in several varieties, including melee tanks called frontliners, short range shot gunners called trenchers, mid-range pistol wielding gunslingers, and long range snipers called deadeyes. The movement and range of these units varies wildly. Frontliners can move clear across the map, but do very little damage, while deadeyes can move one or two spaces at best and can only attack five spaces from their position, but do four times the damage of a frontliner. As I said before, it feels a lot like a tabletop miniatures game, where you do your best to position your enemy in such a way that you can spend double turns attacking with your most powerful units. It's simple at core, but individual interactions are varied and intricate.

Thanks Eye!

Today is the release day of the rogue-like Skyshine's BEDLAM - two sites have already reviewed the game:

PowerupGaming:

Skyshine’s BEDLAM, overall, is an extremely challenging rogue-like RPG. It offers a fresh take on the genre, with a futuristic setting and an interesting mish-mash of mechanics. While battles can sometimes feel extremely unfair or one-sided, it does offer what hardcore fans of this genre really enjoy – a challenge. It is definitely worth checking out and spending several hours playing into the wee hours of the morning. I highly recommend this title for all, as it can provide endless hours of brutal but enjoying adventures trying to perfect your route to the Aztec City.

Score: 8/10

Superb rogue-like with great tactical battles.
Use everything at your disposal to reach the Aztec City. Make some friends and enemies along the way.

Mousenjoypad:

Despite the difficulty, the game strives to be a journey through an unforgiving wasteland, and it succeeds. As I dug deeper into the game, discovering more about the lore of Bedlam, I found myself enamored with the game. It’s a difficult one, that offers very little forgiveness, and when you do fail, you usually have yourself to blame. This would be a great introduction to gamers unfamiliar with tactical role playing games, and a fun experience for veterans.

Score: 86%

WHAT WE LIKED

Battles system is simple and fast-paced with varying strategy.
Travelling across the map is easy to pick up but still a challenge.
Cartoony style is a great contrast to the hard-as-nails gameplay.

WHAT WE DISLIKED

No introduction or backstory to explain what’s going on in Bedlam.
Artistic shortcuts such as scaled backgrounds and reused models.
A boring soundtrack that fails to add to the beauty of the visuals.

Thanks Eye!

Chan Khee Hoon (Pixeldynamo) unmasks the mechanics of Skyshine's BEDLAM:

Unmasking the mechanics of Skyshine’s Bedlam

More than the sum of its influences?

Much of Skyshine’s Bedlam’s rapid ascent to acclaim is that it is often heralded as a mish-mash of some of the most popular games and films today, such as Mad Max, FTL: Faster Than Light, Oregon Trail, XCOM, Borderlands, Fallout, and even good ol’ chess. While comparisons to these greats can be flattering, they make Bedlam sound like an overpowering bowl of casserole—the result of too many components and ideas. As delicious as a steaming bowl of casserole is, throwing in all your favourite ingredients can ruin the dish.

Thankfully, this isn’t what Bedlam is about. At the heart is a focused vision of a killer roguelike; a FTL-esque, turn-based strategy game, coated with a thick layer of Mad Max-y goodness. Blossoming from a long-held childhood dream, it is a game that the developers from Skyshine Games themselves would have loved to play as a 14 year old—complete with gigantic missile-laden tanks called Dozers, steampunk-inspired infantries, and venomous bile-spewing monsters.

“This is the game that they wanted to make,” Steve Escalante of Versus Evil told us at Pax Prime. “And they kind of geeked out about it. It’s not some corporate overlord basically telling them what they should do, what features they should have—this is their game.” [...]

No “one way” to surviving the expedition

If the game’s artistic style is what attracts most gamers, then its sense of unpredictability and “wait-did-that-just-happen” might keep them hooked, albeit on the edge of their seats. Maps are randomised every round, ensuring that replays require you to adapt a new strategy each time. Feeling lucky for finally making it to Aztec City? Take a gamble by heading back to where you came from—with all your upgrades and weapons intact for subsequent journeys. Remember though: what you earned in spades can also be lost just as quickly, if not even more so. Like many roguelikes before it, Bedlam thrives on replayability, a trait that Skyshine also seeks to constantly refine.

What sets Bedlam apart from other roguelikes though is the game’s proprietary blitz battle system—which makes combat increasingly difficult and intense if they do not end quickly enough. Firstly, this battle system assigns two action points to both the crew and the enemy’s team. Every single action, from moving your unit to attacking the enemy, uses one action point. You can even use the point to collect additional resources, strewn across the battlefield, to give your crew an additional edge. However, take too long to eliminate the enemy, and the enemy can unleash a “blitz” move, which can range from doubling their action points, to using resources to cause your crew even more pain.

Other features of this battle system include Dozer upgrades, which can affect your crew’s abilities and enhance their chances of survival in combat, and powerful Dozer weaponry that can turn the tide of battles—especially if your crew is barely hanging on. With so many options and only two action points to exhaust, strategic planning is a must, since a poor decision can easily cripple your team. [...]

Here is a video preview of Skyshine's Bedlam from PAX.

Thanks Couch.

Janelle Bonanno (theEscapist) has previewed Skyshine's BEDLAM - the game will be released on September 17th.

"Surprises are not always good..."

    As I stare at the loading screen, waiting for the game to generate my next encounter, I was confronted by these words of wisdom. "No," I say to myself as I think about my empty fuel tank and dwindling supplies even as I prepare for battle. "They aren't." But, surprises can be fantastic as well, and Skyshine's BEDLAM was my first surprise at PAX this year. Finding myself still playing it on the show floor 30 minutes past my appointment, I don't hesitate to say it was a fantastic surprise at that.

    It isn't often that you pick up a new game with no expectations and find it to be everything you've been looking for. The first game to be built on the Banner Sage engine (outside of the Banner Saga franchise, of course), Skyshine's BEDLAM is part FTL, part Oregon Trail, with a dash of XCOM and Banner Saga to boot. Sprinkle that over a storyline and world reminiscent of Mad Max, and you have a recipe for a ridiculously fun and new experience that is refreshing and exciting. [...]

Dossier on Dozers Trailer:

AngryJoe and OtherJoe preview the upcoming rogue-like, turn based strategy game Bedlam:

TGN released a video with some impressions of Skyshine's BEDLAM:

Skyshine's Bedlam is a turn based strategy game coming to Steam this September. TGN Partners Rurikhan and Globku got to attend an exclusive press demo presentation with one of Skyshine's developers and they now bring you their impressions of Skyshine Games interesting looking post-apocalyptic indie title Bedlam, straight from Gamescom 2015.

David Sanchez (GameCrate) has previewed the rogue-like BEDLAM, the game will be available this fall:

It's impossible to play Skyshine Games' upcoming title, Skyshine's Bedlam, and not draw comparisons to Subset Games' 2012 hit, FTL. The two definitely share a lot of similarities, and, truth be told, Skyshine's Bedlam probably owes a lot to that game, as do other titles that have come along since and borrowed from its winning formula. That said, this isn't some FTL ripoff with no identity of its own. The game adds plenty of nuanced elements to the familiar formula and tosses it all into one cool post-apocalyptic setting, creating an exciting futuristic wasteland.

Skyshine's Bedlam drops you in the middle of a dystopian world reminiscent of the setting seen in the Mad Max films. Resources are scarce, civilization has split up into warring factions, everyone has become a scavenger, and violence is usually the answer. How you progress depends on your personal play style, opening the door for multiple playthroughs and allowing you to approach the game in different ways to see what works best. [...]

Here is a collection of previews for the post-apocalyptic Bedlam.

RPGFan

Skyshine's Bedlam is one of those appealing mashups of genres and flavors you see more and more often on the E3 show floor. Imagine FTL, Borderlands, Mad Max, The Banner Saga, Oregon Trail, and your typical roguelike combined and you have something akin to Bedlam. Your task is to travel from the city of Bysantine to the mythical utopia of Aztec City, taking your immense tank, or Dozer, across a wasteland full of mutants, cyborgs, mauraders, and wandering eccentrics who may be friend, foe, or something else entirely. That wasteland, known as Bedlam, may be your final resting place if the choices you make lead to ruin and despair.

GameRevolution

I didn’t get to experience all of Skyshine’s Bedlam’s offerings, such as using the Dozer’s weapon in battle or other circumstances. However, it appears to be rich with unique experiences for each play through. And don’t worry about that whole not being able to save deal because the game is geared towards single-sitting play sessions. How much time that takes is unclear, though knowing me, it’ll be days with how long it takes me to make a choice in these kinds of games. Maybe you’re better at this whole gaming thing.

Gamespot

It's very reminiscent of 2012's popular game FTL: Faster Than Light, and the developer does not shy away from the comparisons. Bedlam brings you into places that threaten to destroy your entire caravan. It forces you to make decisions necessary for survival, but that might end in ruin. The game lives on the player's drive to explore just a little bit further, even if that additional push might spell disaster. In the short demo that I was able to play, within ten minutes I was forced to search further, sacrifice more crew members, and risk more in order to have enough gasoline to continue to move.

And an interview at AV Club

AVC: If you had tried to make this game 15 or 20 years ago, what would you have had to do differently?

SG: Absolutely nothing. We are actually making this game as if it was 15 or 20 years ago. We’re trying to make an ’80s game, like this is all Judge Dredd, Heavy Metal magazine, Mad Max: Road Warrior. You know, the new one’s out. It’s totally awesome, but Road Warrior, that’s the stuff that we grew up on as kids. Me and John Mueller, our artist, it’s what we love. Post-apocalyptic anything. Mad Max is just insane, so we want to capture that feel. This is the game we would have made when we were 15 years old, with all the stuff we wanted to see when we were 15.

So, yeah, I want to see mutant dinosaurs and robots and cyborg zombies, and I want to see stuff blowing up all over the place, and I want my mutant puke monster to melt guys with their vomit. It’s fun stuff. We don’t want to hold anything back. We want the apocalypse to be fun. We want to be colorful. You don’t want to be oppressed. You want to get in there and be like, “Yeah, this is the apocalypse I want. I’m awesome. I’m bad-ass.” That was Mad Max. “I’ve got my car, I’ve got my dog, I’ve got my shotgun.” That’s a fun apocalypse, and we want to capture the same thing.

Some new screenshots for Bedlam, the post-apocalyptic RPG, have just been released.

As the world gears up for the release of a Mad Max: Fury Road this weekend (and the ongoing discussion about it next week), it’s a great reason to remind players to keep an eye out for Skyshine Games’ Bedlam, brought to you by indie publisher Versus Evil, coming soon to PC via Steam for those looking to cover post-apocalyptic video games and media.

To mark the occasion, Skyshine is releasing all-new key art, screenshots of the different factions that live in the wastelands of Bedlam with a new quote from artist John Mueller about how the Mad Max franchise inspired and influenced Bedlam:

“I saw The Road Warrior when I was 10 with my dad, it was the first rated R movie I had ever seen. I’ve watched it so many times I used to talk along with the movie…so it’s a BIG influence. Mostly our vision for the apocalypse is the fantasy ‘fun’ version that Mad Max was. The factions are crazy like Marauders, our nod to the movies, then there are Mutants, A.I, and Cyborgs. I really dislike the ‘real’ notion of an apocalypse…everything sucks, nobody wears cool outfits, or has crazy weapons. We are all about bringing the fun back to the end of civilization!”
- John Mueller, artist, Skyshine Games

Skyshine Games finally posted a new post-funding update for Bedlam this week. The update has more information on your mobile armor base called a Dozer.

Another month gone by and Team Skyshine is as hard at work as ever. We’re currently in the closing weeks of an internal demo sprint. In other words we’re very close to having a completely playable early build of the game for us to test. There will still be a ton of content to add, bugs to fix and boat loads of fine tuning, but we’ll be that much closer to getting the finished game into your hands.

As we mentioned in our last update, this update will be all about Dozers. Your Dozer is really the hub of the entire gameplay experience. It’s your means of transportation, base of operations and the only home of consequence for your Passengers and Crew on their perilous journey through the wastelands of Bedlam. In terms of gameplay it’s where you’ll access the world map and navigate, manage your away team, balance your resources, man your facilities and receive incoming communications. Some Dozer upgrades will even manifest themselves in combat...

Skyshine games announced today it has found a publisher called Versus Evil to help distribute Bedlam worldwide. Here are the details from the press release.

Leading Indie Publisher to Bring Successfully Kickstarted Game to Market

Austin, USA – February 20^th, 2015 – Bedlam will reign later this year as independent developer Skyshine games announces its partnership with leading independent game publisher Versus Evil to bring the post-apocalyptic “roguelike” role-playing game (RPG) to market in Summer 2015.

“Since going through a pretty amazing Kickstarter experience we’ve been hard at work bringing Bedlam to life and finding the right partner to take the game to all of the players that have supported us along the way” said John Mueller, Art Director, Skyshine games. “The Banner Saga team at Stoic have given us some great support and advice and having seen the great partnership they enjoyed with Versus Evil it seems the natural choice to work with them on Bedlam”.

Built on the foundations of the Banner Saga engine, Bedlam is an RPG for PC/Steam that sees players send their motley crew of humans, mutants, robots, and cyborgs either into battle or to other areas to explore, gathering valuable items, information and other recruits to help them overcome the various perils encountered during their journey. Powerful weapons and technologies will be discovered and when equipped, give the player access to devastating attacks or even the ability to cheat death and resurrect their favorite lost soldiers.

“Simply put the Skyshine team has put together a winning scenario by combining a unique art style, with proven tech from The Banner Saga, and an experienced development team with Vigil vets” said Steve Escalante, General Manager, Versus Evil. “Bedlam has the ingredients to make a fantastic game.The success of the Kickstarter campaign illustrates gamer’s excitement for Bedlam and we are looking forward to partnering with them to bring the game to market”

The next post-funding update from developer Skyshine Games has news the forums are now up, and shares a new map of a region you will be traveling to Beblam.

The Bedlam forums are officially open for business and we honestly can’t wait to hear what you all have to say! The forums will be open to anyone who would like to join (feel free to invite your friends!), but there will be special sub-forums just for you, our amazing backers.

Just head on over to our website GoBedlam.com and click the new “Forums” link, or get there directly HERE. VERY IMPORTANT NOTE! Make sure to use the same email that is associated with your Kickstarter account to register for the forums in order to unlock your unique backer permissions.

We’ve got some really cool stuff in store for you like custom BEDLAM avatars (link below), poll questions and more! And we've got specific sub-forums to update you with assets and gameplay demonstrations straight from Skyshine, to clue you in on BEDLAM media coverage and even a spot for you guys to share your own BEDLAM stories, art, and creations with the community. And of course, the special Kickstarter-only sub-forums just for you.

Each of us here at Skyshine will check in as much as possible during this busy development cycle, and we’re really looking forward to chatting with all of you, our valued backer community. We will always strive to be friendly and respectful, so please do your best to help maintain that vibe for everyone on the Bedlam forums. Happy chatting!

Skyshine Games latest update for Bedlam has a short update on the game status.

The high-fives have been handed out, the jigs have been jigged and now it’s time to get down to business! We took a short break after the campaign so the team could rest and recover, but we are already back, hard at work on the game!

We had a few questions about our surveys! In the coming weeks we will be sending out our surveys to gather information on pledge rewards like shirt sizes, add-ons, and other important details regarding your pledge. 

One of our first orders of business will be getting the forums online so we can communicate with YOU our awesome backers!

Skyshine Games latest kickstarter update for Bedlam is a big thank you to all the backers who helped the developer make $166,540 of the games $130,000 goal.

Wow!!! Funded at 128%!! Incredible!! What an amazing journey this has been so far and we’ve only just begun! We can’t wait to play this game just as much as y’all do! We’re going to have a great time working on it and we know that will come through in the final game!

Skyshine Games announces Bedlam is in the final hours of it's kickstarter campaign, and has managed to make yet another stretch goal in two days.

5,000 BEDLAM BACKERS and the $155,000 Stretch Goal!!! WOO!

Like the Kool-Aid Man smashing through a brick wall, we have destroyed another Stretch Goal! OH YEAH! I know we say this a lot, but Thanks again to all our BEDLAM BACKERS!!!

BEDLAM now includes the A.I. Dozer, Crew, Weapons and Upgrades!!

The mysterious A.I. Dozer RUBICON and its crew are waiting for YOU somewhere out in the world of Bedlam. Chatter over the nanowire claims this colossal machine has been “patrolling” Bedlam for centuries, commencing its script of endless extermination protocols. With no surviving witnesses, these could all just be tales to scare the little ones at night. Or it could be a very REAL nightmare menace, deserving of all the dread these stories have caused!

Couchpotato had the chance to ask a few questions of developer Skyshine Games about their now funded kickstarter game Bedlam. So sit back and enjoy everyone.

Couchpotato: Let’s start the interview with a simple question where I ask can you give a brief description of yourself, and about your game studio Skyshine Games?

Skyshine Games: We’re a three-person team with a massive dream, to make our own video game, to leave our collective mark on the industry. All three of us worked at a small startup called Outlaw Studios where we were making Xbox games and a slew of demos that all never saw the light of day. John and Sam continued working together with most of the Outlaw Art Team on other games like Tabula Rasa and the Darksiders games. Other members of the team went on to work on games such as Dead Rising 2, Bioshock and Bioshock 2, while our animator went on to pioneer motion capture animation in Hollywood. Jeff was involved in the 80’s and 90’s industry explosion, working at Bally and Midway on Pinball machines and Arcade classics like NFL Blitz, but after the implosion of Outlaw, he soon left the industry altogether.

John: We are a band of brothers at this point, we’ve been through more wars than I care to remember. Outlaw came about when I had left Epic Games to strike out on my own, we were a scrappy team, but all those people were extraordinary in their own right and they’ve gone on to prove it professionally. We have been through a number of difficult circumstances, but we stuck together. I think we all knew this reunion would happen at some point we just weren’t sure how… thank you, Kickstarter.

The latest kickstarter update for Bedlam shares information the game has passed the $100,000 Mark, but still needs to get another $25,000 to get funded.

BEDLAM has smashed through the $100,000 mark! WAY TO GO!!! We have turned the corner into our final week! We still have 28k to go as of this writing, but I wanted to take a moment and look forward to our first stretch goal, which is a fuller audio and music experience by composer Kevin Riepl (GEARS OF WAR).

As usual Skyshine Games continues releasing two updates a day for Bedlam with the latest updates about mutants, and warriors. The game still needs $40,000.

Hello new, current and future BEDLAM BACKERS! We are closing in on our funding goal Y'all are amazing, thank you for showing up and doing your best to make BEDLAM a reality!

In this update you will find our Digital Add-ons, which we hope will be a fun way for BEDLAM BACKERS to help us reach our goal!! We are offering these add-on 'packs' which contain some serious firepower that will enhance your trip through scenic BEDLAM! While all of these characters, weapons, and upgrades can be found with some hard work (and luck!), we wanted add a little up front bonus for any backers interested in increasing their pledge. ALL Tiers $65 and above will receive ALL digital add-on packs! We’ve also made sure to include some sunscreen, and possibly a useful annihilation device or two... but let’s be more specific!

During your travels through Bedlam, a variety of characters and rare Elite warriors from the four Factions (Mutant, Cyborg, A.I. and Marauder) can be discovered and recruited to your crew. But with these special add-on Packs we’re offering, you will be able to access some of those awesome characters right from the beginning of your journey! In addition, each pack contains a bonus Dozer Upgrade and Weapon!

Skyshine Games continues releasing two updates a day for Bedlam with latest update sharing information on what Physical Add-ons you can add to your pledge.

Hello new, current and future BEDLAM BACKERS! We are entering the last week of our BEDLAM kickstarter campaign and just today we increased our total funding over 5%!! This is INCREDIBLE!! Let’s keep the momentum going!!! Together we will make BEDLAM a reality!

We have had many requests to offer our amazing BEDLAM physical goods as Add-ons, so without further ado...

The Physical Add-ons (see below for pictures and detailed descriptions)

• Exclusive BEDLAM BACKER t-shirt (+$25)
• Hardcover Art Book (+$40)
• Mutant Bobblehead (+$40)
• BEDLAM Movie-style Poster (+$35)
• The Cloth Map of BEDLAM (+$30)
• Audio CD Soundtrack (+$20)
• BEDLAM Mouse Pad (+$15)

To add an add-on to your Kickstarter pledge, follow these steps:

• Go to the BEDLAM Kickstarter site and press the [Manage Your Pledge] button. If you have not pledged yet it will say [Back this Project].
• Increase your pledge in the “Pledge Amount” box by the total dollar value (plus any extra shipping if applicable) of your desired Add-ons.
• Without changing your Reward Selection, click the [Continue to next step] button.

After the end of the Kickstarter campaign you will receive a survey asking you what Add-ons you have ordered and other information like your t-shirt size. For example, if you are at the $20 Pledge level and want to add a t-shirt, you would enter $45 as your total pledge.

Skyshine Games has posted two more updates about the games Animation & VFX effects. As for funding it has  made $70,186 of $130,000 goal with 13 days left.

Sam here again! I had a lot of fun over the past 3 days making characters and brainstorming ideas with all of you. I think we're all going to have fun together over the next year ;) John and Jeff get back into town tomorrow and we've got a ton of great updates planned for next week, stay tuned!

Skyshine Games has another update for Bedlam with the second part of the last update with more infomation the games animation, and VFX effects.

Update #12 "Animation and VFX Extravaganza Part 2!"

Greetings, BEDLAM BACKERS and Kickstarter Visitors!

Skyshine Sam here again! What an incredible response to the challenge! Thanks for brainstorming with me all day in the comments sections -- you've got some wild ideas! I think we might even be able to make some of those... stay tuned and keep the suggestions coming!

I'm probably going to make more humanoid characters tomorrow since those won't take as long as an entirely new character like today's Pug. I think my favorite ideas might be... A Skeleton Warrior using his own arm as nunchakus, a "BEDLAMized" Walter Sobchack, A Judge Dredd or Snake Plisskin character, The Mutant Cockroach, and the Saguaro Cactus who just wants a hug! Which do you think I should work on first? :D

Skyshine Games has another update for Bedlam with information on the graphics, and talks about the games stretch goals.

"Animation and VFX Extravaganza + Stretch Goal Details"

Hello BEDLAM BACKERS and Kickstarter Visitors!

We took some time last night and this morning to add our detailed stretch goals to the Tower of Power on the main Kickstarter page so everyone can see that 100% of our effort is going to making an incredible PC game. Apologies for any confusion we caused yesterday. Please ask us questions and let us know what you think! We want to make the best game possible for all of us!

Animation and VFX Extravaganza!

Greetings HUMANS! Skyshine Sam here! John and Jeff are out of town on a grassroots promotional tour for our Kickstarter project, getting the word out to as many people as possible, trying to make our dream come true!

I will be spending the next 72 hours creating some crazy characters and VFX for the game, so we are asking you to post your own crazy ideas in the comments section! Chain-Lightning Electrocution?! More Crazy Marauders? Laser swords? Flaming Nunchaku?!? Plasma Rifles? Power-Fist Warriors? Drunken Boxing!? Flying Murder Balls? A "BEDLAMized" version of your favorite game or movie character? ...What would you like to see me create?

I will be starting with what I really want to see in the game, The Dreadhound Pug with Corrosive Relief Stream! Watch for the finished animation and effects soon!

The Bedlam kickstarter has earned $66,659 of the games $130,000 goal, and the games developer Skyshine Games has three more updates this week.

UPDATE #8 – “Tag your Dozer!”

While we’re on the topic of incredible and talented friends (seriously, check out that amazing Mutant King!), let us segue into the awesome DOZER SIGILS that Sam’s friend Nigel Fenton made for us!

When you are outfitting your Dozer at the start of each journey through Bedlam, you will be able to personalize your rolling fortress with a Sigil image emblazoned on the side of your machine.

And starting at the $50 pledge level (Tier #6), we will be sending our backers an art template to submit their very own image to be available as a selectable Sigil! Everyone who plays the game will have access to your unique Sigil in the game, and maybe someone else will agree that yours is the BEST and worth having on the side of their own Dozer!

Update #9 - "Go Mobile!"

Hello current and future BEDLAM BACKERS! We have excellent news!!

THE BANNER SAGA is now available on iOS devices! Since we are licensing “The Banner Saga Engine”, we also want to make BEDLAM available on mobile devices. Based on your survey feedback, we know you want to play BEDLAM anywhere and everywhere. And so, we have changed our first two stretch goals!

150k - iOS version
170k - Android version

We’ll let you know more details early next week. Until then, let's make this happen! All we need is your additional support!!

Update #10 - "Gameplay Part 1 - Gameflow"

The following is a high-level overview of BEDLAM's gameflow (*contains placeholder art from our prototype). As a roguelike game, every aspect of the world will be randomly generated at the start of each new game. The chaotic and ever-changing nature of Bedlam is how it earned its name!

Once again Skyshine Games posted two new kickstarter updates in two days. The first update has a new video with information about using your likeness to the game.

Greetings, BEDLAM BACKERS! We had an amazing time at the Wizard World Comic Convention in Austin, Texas this past weekend. We met a lot of new backers and a few of you who started this ride with us! 

We also absolutely proved our theory that YOUR story and ideas are just as good as anything we would come up with, and it’s why we’re collaborating with our BACKERS to shape BEDLAM!

First we met our first DUKE of BEDLAM, a backer who pledged at Tier #15 (“Who runs Bartertown?”), and we worked on the concept for his territory in the game. We won’t spoil it for you... but as an Operations Logistics expert, Ryan was fond of the A.I. as his faction of choice. We’ll tailor the entire experience in that territory around our discussions with him. We can’t wait until you play the results!

The second update is about a mutant, and being 50% funded.

OMG 50% funded! YOU DID IT! Thank you so much for all of your support and belief in BEDLAM!

Today, the Mutant King bobblehead statue comes to life! Everyone seems to love this guy, including us!

So, here’s an amazing time-lapse video by our good friend and artist Eric Spitler, who has beautifully rendered the actual bobblehead model for your enjoyment! The music in the video is the FULL length Marauder theme from our soundtrack by Kevin Riepl (GEARS OF WAR). Enjoy!

Skyshine Games latest kickstarter update for Bedlam gives everyone a look at how the game  came to be from the beginning all the way to the new Kickstater.

Update #5 - "BEDLAM: ORIGINS"

Greetings once again to the BEDLAM BACKERS - kinda sounds like a cool group, right?! One week into this campaign and we are 46% of the way to our goal! Awesome! Thanks everyone! We are trying our hardest to keep these meaningful updates coming as well as answer any and all comments!

Our goal is to break through 50% by Sunday night!! We have had a nice surge the last few days and we're almost there! Tell a friend, use our backer icons, we'll be at the Austin Comic Con at booth D46 all weekend spreading the word! OK, now on to the update...

BEDLAM: ORIGINS

Hey, John Mueller here!

As you can probably tell by what you’ve seen of the game so far, BEDLAM is the result of a lot of different influences. But before I get into specifics, it might be a good idea to offer some insight to its history.

My experience has been as an Art Director and artist in AAA games for the majority of my career, working for companies like THQ, NCSoft and Epic Games -- basically, I've been trying to make cool stuff in video games since 1995.

My main goal with BEDLAM started as a simple idea: to go BACK to the beginning, to the origins of the science-fiction I experienced in my youth. To try and present a world not with polygons and supercomputing technology, but with pure art and imagination.

So where did this whole concept originally come from?

The essence of BEDLAM first exploded into existence way back in the 1980s, when myself and a group of teenage friends gathered weekly to play Dungeons & Dragons (nerds!). Slaying dragons and seeking treasure provided hours of fantasy entertainment… but we also quickly became obsessed with JUDGE DREDD comics and HEAVY METAL magazines, and movies like THE TERMINATOR, BLADE RUNNER, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK and the MAD MAX films.

Skyshine Games released the fourth kickstarter update today for Bedlam with information on a few new backer tiers, and shares a few game soundtracks.

Hello backers! As our campaign progresses, we are getting lots of feedback and starting to make a few changes based on your comments and suggestions. So this update will do two things: talk about our new Tiers, and introduce our music composer Kevin Riepl. 

Let's keep the momentum going...we need YOU to share our updates with friends, use our ‘backer’ icons in your social media and get this game KICKSTARTED!

Bedlam has two more updates posted one day after each other this week. The game so far has managed to make $53,393 of the $130,000 goal with 24 days left.

Day 5 – “No rest for the wicked!”

Greetings from Skyshine Games, and many thanks and congratulations to everyone for helping us reach $49,000! Well done, y’all! We’re working hard on addressing everyone’s questions while still trying to spread the word to as many people as we can. This will just be a quick little update after taking a very brief but much-needed break on Sunday! Sam claims he took at least 200 naps yesterday :)

We're currently working on presenting the first round of Dozer Upgrades that everyone at Tier #6 will be voting on when we reach our initial funding goal. The Dozer Upgrade that wins the voting will be available from the start of the game for everyone whose pledge included the Limited Edition of BEDLAM! Get a leg up on the competition! Look for Update #3 tomorrow! Same Bat-Time... Same Bat-Channel!

Day 6 - "Hmm, upgrades!"

We broke 2000 backers! Go BEDLAM! To celebrate, we are adding two special tiers to our campaign: a poster promotion that ties in with one of our new Dozer upgrades - The Dreadhound Kennel - and a high-level tier where artist John Mueller immortalize your pooch, BEDLAM style!

Skyshine Games has posted the first kickstarter update for Bedlam with news on the games second day, and gives a big thank you to all backers.

We are radiating - glowing even - with excitement from the amount of support BEDLAM received on Day 1 of our Kickstarter campaign!! From the amazing press coverage to the comments, emails and tweets from backers, we have reached the 1000k backers plateau and hit 20% of our funding goal! We have been racing to keep pace with the comments, emails, and tweets. It's an incredible feeling to have our dream project inspire the same passion in others! Your contribution is helping make this game become a reality, and we won't let you down. THANK YOU ALL!!

Bedlam is a new game on kickstarter that went live from Skyshine Game. The developer is asking for $130,000 in thirty days to get funded. Here is the pitch video.

A post-apocalyptic roguelike RPG featuring our unique blitz battle system - Inspired by great games like The Banner Saga, FTL and XCOM

The player is cast as the mysterious Mechanic, the last known member of a once-thriving guild of brilliant inventors, intrepid travelers and operators of the rolling fortresses called Dozers.

As the Mechanic, you are in charge of commanding your crew in battles, managing your resources, improving your Dozer, interacting with various characters, and protecting your passengers while navigating through the post-apocalyptic wasteland known as Bedlam.

Remember – One chance and one crew to make it through!