After nearly seven years of development, Blendo Games is finally ready to unleash its latest creation, Skin Deep, a first-person sci-fi shooter that defies convention at every turn. Set to launch on Steam on April 30, 2025, this quirky, action-packed adventure takes players aboard a futuristic cargo starship managed by an insurance corporation. But this isn’t your typical space opera. Instead of epic battles and laser swords, Skin Deep offers a bizarre blend of shooting, sneaking, sabotage, and—yes—smelling, all wrapped in Blendo’s signature blocky 3D art style. Oh, and there are cats. Lots of cats. Some of them are even dressed in tiny cowboy outfits.
The game’s premise is as unconventional as its mechanics. You play as a cryogenically frozen security officer, kept on board the starship as a last line of defense in case of emergencies. When space pirates ambush the vessel, your body thaws, and chaos ensues. What follows is a non-linear adventure where players must navigate the ship, outsmart pirates, and solve puzzles—all while managing a unique set of mechanics that include sneezing, stink clouds, and the occasional feline rescue mission.
A Sci-Fi Shooter Like No Other
At its core, Skin Deep is a first-person shooter, but it’s far from the precision-based, hyper-realistic games that dominate the genre. Instead, Blendo Games has infused the experience with a healthy dose of madcap comedy and absurdity. For instance, the game features a “stink system” that leaves little odor clouds in your wake if you’ve been crawling through trash or rotting fish bones. These clouds can alert nearby pirates to your presence, adding a layer of strategy to your sneaking and sabotage efforts. Fortunately, the smell isn’t permanent; players can wash up to eliminate their stench.
Then there’s the sneeze mechanic. If you’re crawling through a dusty vent, your “sneezy air level” increases, eventually triggering a loud sneeze that could give away your position. Players can also interact with bags of pepper, which can be shot or thrown to create sneeze-inducing clouds—a clever way to distract or disable enemies. These mechanics, while humorous, are grounded in a kind of in-game logic that makes them feel oddly immersive.
But the real stars of the show might just be the cats. Scattered throughout the ship are numerous feline passengers, some of whom are dressed in adorable outfits like cowboy hats and vests. Your mission? Save them. Why? Because they’re cats in silly outfits, and who wouldn’t want to rescue them? This whimsical element adds a layer of charm and unpredictability to the game, ensuring that players are never quite sure what to expect next.
A Labor of Love (and a Few Delays)
Skin Deep marks Blendo Games’ most action-focused project to date. The independent studio, led by Brendon Chung, is known for its award-winning titles like Quadrilateral Cowboy, Gravity Bone, and Thirty Flights of Loving. These games are celebrated for their clever puzzles, polygonal art style, and offbeat storytelling. While Skin Deep retains Blendo’s signature weirdness, it also represents a significant departure by incorporating first-person shooter mechanics.
For Chung, this shift feels like a natural progression. He got his start in game development by customizing levels for classic FPS games like Doom, Quake, and Half-Life. Even now, he’s using a modified version of id Software’s Doom 3 engine (idTech4) to power Skin Deep. “I’ve played like a bazillion FPS games because I just really enjoy them,” Chung told Engadget in 2021. “But I feel like there’s so much that can be explored and that I wish these games would explore.” In Skin Deep, that exploration takes the form of stink clouds, sneezing mechanics, and, of course, cats in cowboy hats.
The road to Skin Deep’s release hasn’t been without its bumps. Development began in July 2018, and the game’s FAQ page initially included a question about whether it would take “4+ years of development time like Quadrilateral Cowboy.” The answer at the time was, “I hope not.” Today, that response has been updated with a cheeky “(update: oops…).” Despite the delays, the game’s unique vision and meticulous attention to detail suggest that the wait will be worth it.
A New Demo and the Future of Skin Deep
To whet players’ appetites, Blendo Games has released a new demo for Skin Deep as part of Steam Next Fest, an event running from February 24 to March 3, 2025. The demo offers a glimpse into the game’s chaotic, comedic world, allowing players to experience its quirky mechanics and feline-filled antics firsthand.
Published by Annapurna Interactive, Skin Deep is poised to be one of the most distinctive releases of 2025. It’s a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet it’s clear that a tremendous amount of care and creativity has gone into its development. From its unconventional mechanics to its absurd humor and charming feline companions, Skin Deep is a testament to Blendo Games’ ability to push boundaries and defy expectations.
So, when April 30 rolls around, will you be ready to save the cats in cowboy hats? With Skin Deep, the question isn’t just whether you can save them—it’s whether you can survive the chaos, comedy, and sheer unpredictability of Blendo’s latest interstellar adventure. One thing’s for sure: this is one starship you won’t want to miss.
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