What kind of game is Borbudo?
Borbudo is an action/adventure arcade maze retro shooter game in the style of 80s classics Gauntlet (1985) and Time Bandit (1983). It's also influenced by Dungeon Master (1987), Bloodwych (1991), and Scorched Earth (1991).
Bordudo re-introduces the maze shooter genre to modern audiences - and expands upon it. Simply put, Borbudo is the game that its creator always wanted to play!
This game is a labour of love, developed by Rob Lehrbass as an homage to the fantastic games of the best decade in human history: the 1980s! If you haven't lived in the 80s, I highly recommend it!
What does Borbudo NOT have?
Borbudo is defiantly retro and lovingly old school! It throws out many of the "necessary evils" found in modern games:
● There are no ads of any kind. In fact, right now Borbudo is completely free!*
● No forced sign-in (Borbudo can be played online/offline on Android devices).
● There's no in-game purchases or in-game currency linked to real-world money. You're not a dairy cow and we're not going to try milk you with microtransactions! Also, we don't even know what 'battle pass' is; hence we don't have that. Borbudo is (mostly) meant to be like games were in the golden age of video games.
● No DLC or pre-order. The game is fresh out of the oven, complete and playable from start to finish!
● Borbudo does not collect or share your data.
OK, well, what DOES Borbudo have?
● Nasty, purple, acid-spitting, disrespectful alien lizard things. We didn't put them there, they showed up and they just won't go away. Maybe you can help get rid of them!
● Lots of blasting, with over 30 types of weapons to choose from.
● A grand adventure! But remember, this game is old school. We're not going to hold your hand. You can't just hold down "fire" and advance. You have to use your wits!
● 20+ quests (or levels) set in strange, exotic times and places - each one is uniquely challenging and rewards you with a shiny gem. Solve them in whatever order you choose and then try to defeat the Borbudo King!
● There's multiple vehicles to choose from, each with unique strengths and weaknesses.
● Borbudo has all the classic elements that make a game interactive and fun, such as transporters, generators, portals, force beams, false walls, destructible walls, triggers, signs, power-ups, treasures, bridges, platforms, etc...
● Discover many other game elements like multipliers, spikes, gears, magnetic and repulsor pads, vector pads, whirlpools, quicksand, boulders, boosters, targets, etc...
● Beware of strange, scary creatures like beholders, demons, wizards, slurbs, wungus, UFOs, zappies, and teenagers.
● Seek out weapon and vehicle upgrades.
● Explore over 6 terrain types: water, ground, outer space, lava, ice, pits.
But wait, there's (not) more!
Borbudo brings the classic maze shooter back to its roots by removing or adjusting these features:*
● Health bars above each character - when you watch a movie, is there a health bar above the hero and villain to show you how close they are to dying? When you read a book, is there a health bar above each character's name? Then why do modern video games have health bars? Borbudo leaves them out - your health is shown off to the side and your enemies won't tell you how weak they are! You have to figure it out!
● Glowing circles under characters - like health bars, these distract from the visual experience. Seriously, why do games need to highlight where you and your enemies are? The player should easily be able to figure this out!
● Power-ups: these should be rare, must be earned, and the player must be forced to go and collect them! It's a pet peeve of ours that many modern games spam power-ups right next to the player, basically every few seconds! Borbudo does not spam dopamine!
What about AI?
Borbudo is 100% AI-free. Every line of code, graphic, and sound was lovingly created by a human being using traditional hand-crafted tools.* The game is by humans and for humans, and it shines with the sparkle of human creativity (or so the Germans would have us believe!)
Support pure human achievement by downloading and playing Borbudo today!
Got feedback?
Comments are appreciated! Send email to rob@borbudo.com