OUTBUDDIES DX

OUTBUDDIES DX

Released Oct 2019

Run, gun and explore an open undercity in this otherworldly non-linear Metroidvania adventure about the Old Gods, strange creatures and the remnants of a lost world!

70% positive · 288 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence

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Evaluation

OUTBUDDIES DX is a solo-developed Metroidvania that launched on October 15, 2019. Over the following eight months, developer Julian Laufer released a steady stream of patches — reworking the UI, adding localization, introducing a boss rush mode, and polishing almost every aspect of the game in response to player feedback. On June 5, 2020, Julian published a personal post explicitly declaring the game finished. After seven years of development and over 7,000 hours of work, he wrote: "I can finally call Outbuddies DONE." That post coincided with the rebranding of the game to OUTBUDDIES DX and its launch on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PS4. Julian was candid about his exhaustion and financial strain, and stated clearly that while he would continue to fix bugs as needed, he was stepping away from active development to recover. He did not announce any new content or future expansion plans. A small patch followed on July 17, 2020 (build 1.0.4), adding Portuguese localization and minor fixes. The most recent developer communication was a March 7, 2022 post announcing Steam Deck verification — a platform compatibility update, not a content release. No new content has been announced or released since the DX launch in June 2020. The developer's own words on June 5, 2020 mark the clear endpoint of content development for this game.
Evidence
Developer Julian Laufer explicitly states 'I can finally call Outbuddies DONE' after seven years of development. Announces the DX rebranding and console release, says he needs to recover and will 'start making another game another day.' Commits only to fixing bugs going forward, with no new content planned.
news post · Jun 5, 2020 source development ending
high
Developer announces Steam Deck verification for OUTBUDDIES DX. No new content announced — this is a platform compatibility update only.
news post · Mar 7, 2022 source ambiguous
low

Media

Details

Developer
Publisher
Headup
Achievements
38
Platform
Windows
Controller
full support
Steam Deck
Verified
Players
Single-player · Multiplayer · Co-op · Local/Split Screen

About this game





Enter Bahlam, a sunken city of the Old Gods, located deep in the South Atlantic Ocean. Following a shipwreck, adventurer and maritime archaeologist Nikolay Bernstein regains consciousness 36.000 feet under the sea. He's severely wounded and unwillingly connected to a supernatural Buddy-unit. Searching for answers about his displacement our main protagonist digs deep into the lost undercity, gradually realizing an ominous presence hollowing in its shadowed caverns.



On your journey home you will share your fate with a friendly tribe of mining creatures, the Wozan, who fear the Old Gods and strive to get back to the surface since their ancestors had been enslaved 5000 years ago. Some of them were able to flee and founded secret colonies deep inside the sunken ruins, others are still exploited by the hostile creatures that have overtaken the city since the Old Gods suddenly disappeared.






Experience real non-linear Metroidvania gameplay and uncover five distinct areas, all with remarkable puzzles, environmental hazards, epic boss encounters and captured Wozan to uncage. Your Buddy unit will procedurally map the area and function as a handy quality of life tool that can be controlled at will to manipulate your surroundings using various abilities like hacking, scanning, and telekinesis.



Explore Bahlam with high freedom of movement like climbing, crawling and diving right from the start. As you progress your set of options will expand by discovering ancient weapon systems, suit upgrades and hacking protocols for your droid. All gear will be carefully balanced in terms of combat abilities and has to be used selectively to overcome specific hazards and puzzles.






The local Co-Op option invites a second player to explore and experience this adventure together by taking control over the invincible Buddy unit. Support each other on your journey home, solve puzzles and overcome Bahlam's hostile maze. This will also provide an opportunity for team-speedrunning as a very unique take on the scene.



Outbuddies DX is a humble budget project but that does not mean it will run poorly or lack the quality of life features. All pixel art will scale crisp and free of distortion artifacts to your native screen resolution. The game runs at 60 FPS. A hybrid physics engine ensures realistic accelerations and object movements while maintaining the pixel perfect control of the old classics. Enemy and boss AIs are carefully crafted and will kick your ass in a Souls-like manner! Outbuddies DX also supports various mappable devices like keyboard, mouse and multiple gamepads to ensure you´re able to play with your preferred setup. We listen to feedback, so shoot us a mail anytime!






  • Explore an open vibrant fantasy world
  • Real Metroidvania gameplay with lots of gear, puzzles and Easter eggs
  • Unique dual-hero scheme with local Co-Op support
  • Epic boss battles & believable enemy AIs
  • Intriguing narrative and memorable characters
  • High freedom of movement @ 60 FPS
  • Handcrafted pixel art with distortion-free scaling to your native display resolution
  • Support for various input devices & key rebinding
  • Original soundtrack by OGRE music
Last evaluated Jun 26, 2026
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